


Breakfast with the Queen (because Regina is a Queen in any land)

by wild_fables



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, F/F, Swan-Mills Family Fluff (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wild_fables/pseuds/wild_fables
Summary: Emma looked  – and immediately froze.  This woman, who she had never seen before, was stunning.  Dark brown hair that fell in lush layers just to her shoulders, flawless olive skin, and deep-brown eyes that squinted as she smiled, and…well, sparkled, to steal her son’s word.Modern day AU where Emma's been raising Henry on her own.  They meet Regina in New York City. Fluff happens.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 77





	Breakfast with the Queen (because Regina is a Queen in any land)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the characters of "Once Upon a Time." Just referencing them for fun, and all mistakes are mine. Apologies ahead of time.

Young Henry twisted and turned, waving his little arms in the air as his mother pulled a sweater down onto his squirming torso.

“Kid, hold still. It’s cold today. We gotta get this on before heading out.”

Once the sweater was past his chubby face, he tried blowing away the hair from his eyes. Emma looked at him, and shook her head, resigned. Maybe today, if she begged, he’d agree to a haircut. _Fat chance._ Her son was 4 _(going on 5, he would quickly add)_ but he knew what he liked, and what he didn’t. And he definitely did not like haircuts.

“Mama,” he said, breathlessly, “I had a dream. I remember it!”

“You do? Well, what did you dream?” She answered him absently as she moved around the apartment, grabbing their coats and scarves, her bag and keys. It was Saturday morning, and on most Saturdays, they would visit their favorite coffee shop, then visit Henry’s favorite playground. It was their routine. Once they got back, Henry would nap, letting Emma take care of a few chores. Most times she succeeded. Other times she’d cuddle with him. She had a feeling today might become a nap-for-two kinda day.

“Ok Henry, let’s go.”

They tumbled out of the apartment, walked down the hall, and shrugged into their coats and scarves as they waited for the elevator. Emma glanced up at the lights above the elevator door. They had just missed one – it was heading down to the lobby, and the second one was working its way up, and would take a few minutes to get down to them.

“I dreamed of a Queen…”

“Oh right, the dream. A Queen? Like in Snow White?” Henry had recently discovered the Disney classics and liked them as much as the newer animated films. They would watch the films, and within days, Henry would ask for the book versions. Emma liked that her son was showing an interest in fairy tales, along with today's superheroes and comics.

“No Mama, not the evil queen. A good queen.”

She nodded, “Oh, a good one. Well, that’s good." She paused, "Wait, how’d you know she was good?”

“Cuz she was, Ma. She had a big castle, and knights, and the people loved her. And she was beeeeUUUUUUtiful!”

“Wow kid, she must have been very BEAUTIFUL!”

“She was, Ma. She had dark hair…”

“Like yours?” She ran her hand through his brown hair, unlike her own blonde, trying to get it to calm down. At least, they shared the same unruly curls.

“Right – like mine, and dark eyes that…like…” He scrunched his little face, brought his hands up and wiggled his fingers, looking to his mother for help.

“Sparkled?”

“Yeah, that’s it!” he shouted. “They sparkled! And when she smiled, it was so pretty.”

“Wow, you really are in love with this queen of yours,” she teased good-naturedly. “Were you in the dream? Were you a prince? Oh, I know – you were a knight!” She took a step back, and got into her funniest sword-fighting stance.

Her son giggled. “You’re silly, Ma. I was the bravest knight, and that’s not how you do it. This is how!” He countered his mother’s pose with one of his own, and the two began to lunge and prance around each other, both laughing, not hearing the elevator doors ding and open silently. 

“Am I interrupting? Or should I wait until you’re done defending my honor?”

They both stopped and turned, as a dark-haired woman took a step out and held the elevator doors open for them. She smiled, almost winking at Emma and Henry. Emma looked – and immediately froze. This woman, who she had never seen before, was stunning. Dark brown hair that fell in lush layers just to her shoulders, flawless olive skin, and deep-brown eyes that squinted as she smiled, and…well, sparkled, to steal her son’s word. Emma quickly noticed that she was dressed impeccably – soft, black scarf that framed her face beautifully, grey wool coat that ended about mid-thigh, black skirt, and knee-high boots. It all looked effortless, and Emma found it incredibly appealing. 

“Are you coming?” the brunette asked again, her voice rich and melodic.

In those few seconds, Emma had forgotten where she was, and what she was supposed to be doing. And Henry. Oh right! Yes, Henry, her son, who seemed to be as awestruck as his mother. She shook herself and found him staring, gawking really.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled sheepishly, stepping towards the doors. She reached for Henry who was still staring. She finally pulled him by the sleeve, imploring him to move.

“Henry, come on. She’s holding the door for us.”

Henry finally moved, stepping into the elevator. Emma followed the brunette in, standing in the far corner, while holding her son in front of her. As the elevator began its descent, Henry looked up at the woman again. He couldn’t believe it. It was her. From his dreams. Well, it was almost her – in modern day clothes, and a modern hairstyle, and no crown, but it was her. He tugged on his mother’s scarf that had fallen over his left shoulder. 

“Ma,” he stage-whispered. “It’s her.”

“Henry, shush.”

Emma was sure the woman heard them, but the brunette only glanced back and smiled. All Emma could do was apologetically grin back. _Lame, so lame_.

A few seconds passed, and Emma felt the tug once more. 

“Ma, but it’s her. It’s really her.”

“Henry, I said behave.”

Emma was certain this was the slowest elevator ride of her life when finally, the elevator signaled that they had arrived at the lobby, and the doors slide open. The brunette wished them a good day, and began to walk away. Henry quickly followed.

Before Emma could stop him, he pulled at the woman’s sleeve as he spoke. 

“Excuse me, but are you a…”

Emma lunged for him and pulled him back just as he was speaking.

“I’m so sorry.” She glared at Henry, shaking her head. “My son knows better.” 

Before he could say a word, the brunette shook her head, seemingly amused by the boy’s antics. “No, it’s quite all right. He really seems to think I’m someone…”

“A queen! You’re a queen!” Henry shouted, his squeaky voice echoing in the empty lobby.

“Kid!” Emma yelled, pulling him close as if to smother any more outbursts. Meanwhile, the woman’s laughter reverberated around them. 

“Good heavens, he thinks I’m a queen!”

As mortified as she was, Emma relaxed. If this beautiful stranger wasn’t offended, then that was a good start. She chuckled softly, letting the woman’s laughter soothe her nerves. It seemed to come at her like a wave, rush over her, recede, and leave her wanting more. Still grinning, the woman turned to Emma, and glanced at Henry.

“So, a queen?” She raised an inquiring eyebrow, and Emma felt it _everywhere._ Emma had always found that whole eyebrow thing sexy as hell. She couldn’t do it herself, and found herself completely defenseless against its charm. _Damn, she didn’t just do that. Could she be any more perfect?_

Emma looked down at her boots, and slid her hands into the back pockets of her skinny jeans. It was a nervous habit – a stall tactic really – but no one needed to know. After a few seconds, she met the woman’s gaze and explained, “The kid had a dream last night with a queen, and apparently – you look a lot like her.”

The mystery woman bent at the knees to speak to Henry, and asked softly, “Is that so, Henry?”

Emma watched, immediately liking how this woman spoke to her son - like she would never let any harm come to him.

Henry nodded vigorously as only a 4-year-old could.

“Well, I don't know about this dream of yours,” she glanced up at Emma before continuing, “and I’m hardly a queen, but my name is Regina, which does mean queen, so you may be onto something, young man.” She winked and held out her hand between them. “It’s nice to meet you, Henry.”

He shook it, beaming and looking up at his mother. “See, I told you, Ma. She IS a queen!”

“That’s not exactly what she said, kid, but….” She paused, then met Regina’s gaze. “I don't even know what to say right now.”

“Well,” she said as she stood up. Emma noted that even in her fancy boots, Regina was still an inch or so shorter. She liked that. “I’d say you have an exceptional son, Miss…”

“Swan, Emma Swan.”

“Regina Mills. It’s nice to meet you.” As she had done with Henry, she held out her hand.

Emma took the woman’s hand in hers. It was warm and seemed to fit perfectly in her own. After a few seconds, Emma finally released her hold, missing the contact immediately.

“Nice meeting you, Regina.”

After a few seconds of awkward glances and smiles between the three of them, Emma spoke up.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve got things to do, so we’ll let you go. Maybe we’ll see you around?”

“Maybe.” She gave Henry a little wave, which he happily returned. “You two enjoy your day.”

Emma turned and led her son out of the building. They paused and took a few minutes to bundle up. While his mother crouched to tuck his scarf into his coat and button him up, Henry noticed Regina standing outside, looking left, then right, as if considering her options.

“Mama, we should ask her to come with us.”

She sighed. “Henry, I’m sure she’s got somewhere to be and it’s certainly not with us.”

“But she’s still here,” Henry gestured towards Regina.

“I know Hen…”

Emma felt a shadow fall over them. She stood up and came face to face with Regina yet again. They were so close she could smell her perfume – subtle, earthy, maybe sandalwood she thought. She took in the flawless skin, the specks of gold in Regina’s chocolate-brown eyes, her full lips, and a slight scar above her upper lip. To her, that slight imperfection wasn’t really an imperfection at all, but rather just one more thing that made this woman so intriguing.

“Miss Swan?” Regina’s smoky voice woke Emma from her daydream. 

“Please call me Emma,” she recovered quickly.

“Emma…” She took her time saying the name, as if trying it out, letting it rest on her lips, and then smiled. 

“Emma,” she said again, before looking down at her son, “and Henry, I was wondering if you would help me. I’m new in town, and was hoping you could maybe show me around?”

Henry bounced in his sneakers, and immediately spoke up. “There’s this great coffee shop that we always go to! Do you like hot chocolate?”

“I do, from time to time, but I may need something a little stronger this morning.”

“Their coffee is excellent, and everything else is amazing,” Emma confirmed, “but seriously, you don’t know your way around New York? You definitely look like you belong.”

Regina blushed slightly. "Thank you, but I haven’t been here in years. It seems like so much has changed.” She looked around, as if taking in the city for the first time. She sighed, then met Emma’s warm gaze. “I needed to stayed away. My mother, who lived in this building, and I had a complicated relationship. She recently passed away, and now it's up to me to decide what to do with her place. I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

“I’m sorry about your mom,” Emma said, which Regina quickly dismissed with a wave. "What about your father? Is he not around?"

“Actually, he’s been with me for years. We’ve been living in Maine. He enjoys living by the water, and prefers the slower pace.” Regina shrugged. “Like I said, complicated.”

Emma nodded, “Huh, well then maybe you do need something stronger.”

With a lull in the conversation, Henry decided the matter resolved. Henry and his mother were going to have breakfast with the queen. Henry took Regina’s hand and his mother's, and began leading them down the block. The women looked at each other, wide-eyed. 

"I guess we're going," Emma said.

"I guess so," Regina agreed.

They laughed, even as Henry spoke. "This place is really the best. We go almost every Saturday, and then we go to playground.” Focusing on walking as quickly as his little legs allowed, he continued. “But we better get there soon because they sometimes run out of the good stuff, and Ma gets cranky.”

Regina turned to look over Henry’s head at Emma. She teased, "Is that true, Miss Swan? You get cranky?”

“Maybe a little…” she shrugged, spacing her thumb and index finger of her free hand about an inch apart. Regina shook her head, wondering who was the adult and who was the child at the moment.

After a block, Henry decided that he would lead with his mother and Regina following close behind. Emma watched him carefully, reminding him to slow down, or stop and wait at every street corner. Regina observed quietly, enjoying the mother-and-son dynamic. 

After a few blocks, she asked, “So, Henry’s quite the charmer. Does he get that from his father?”

Emma smirked. “Hardly. I’m afraid that charm is all Henry – or maybe a little me, on a good day. His father’s never been around. Never even knew I was pregnant when he left.”

“So, you raised him alone?"

“I did. I had some help. You know, it takes a village and all that, but mostly, it’s been Henry and me.”

“That’s admirable, Miss Swan.” She glanced ahead and beamed as Henry skipped in front of them. “He’s really wonderful.”

“Emma – please,” she repeated, “and I got lucky. He’s a great kid.” Emma watched as Henry turned the corner and they quickly followed. As soon as they turned, Regina could almost make out the sign for a coffee shop at the end of the block.

Slowing their pace, Emma asked, “So how about you – husband, kids?”

“No, neither. I was married, but after 3 years, we realized that we were better girlfriends than wives. We’re still friends.”

Emma tried to hide the glee at Regina’s admission that she liked, _no_ , loved women, and mentally threw a fist in the air. It was a start, an incredibly good start. But she was also divorced. _Well, that sucked._

“I’m sorry that it didn’t work out, but it sounds like you did the right thing. It’s better this way.” Emma stopped in mid-stride, flustered at what she had said, and how awful it sounded. She tried to recover. “Shit, that didn’t come out right. I mean not better that your marriage ended, but better that you knew it wasn’t right. That’s what matters, right?” She glanced at Regina, who looked both concerned and amused. She was desperately trying not to laugh. 

Emma gave up. “I'm just gonna shut up now.”

“No, no, you’re fine,” the brunette chuckled, placing a hand on Emma’s arm and giving her a reassuring squeeze. “I understand what you’re saying. Katherine and I knew it was wrong, and we didn’t drag it out. We did the right thing for each other.”

“Exactly! That’s what I meant, and knowing when to leave may be just as important as when to stay. God knows, before Henry, I stuck around way too long in crappy relationships.”

“And since Henry?”

“Since Henry, there’s been no one, no one really important anyway. It’s harder now." She looked ahead at her little boy who walked and skipped a few feet ahead of them. "He’s my world, and I can't just let anyone in. I have to think about what’s best for both of us now, and that’s crazy, because before him, I could barely take care of myself.”

“I hardly believe that you couldn't take care of yourself, and I completely get being careful. I’m not a mother, but I’m sure I’d be just as protective. I suspect I'd be even a little insane about it.” Regina laughed at herself, and Emma joined in. They resumed their walk.

“So you want kids?" Emma asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Regina nodded. “I do. With Katherine, the timing was never right, and then - well, she was gone. But I believe it will happen someday.”

Emma nodded in agreement. “I know we’ve just met, but you’ll be a great mother. I have no doubt.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Emma’s insides warmed at Regina’s endearment. She was about to respond when she heard Henry shout.

“WE'RE HERE!”

They both jumped at Henry’s announcement. He stood outside the door of the coffee shop, grinning and pointing dramatically, before rushing inside.

Emma mumbled, “What is with him and the yelling today?”

Regina laughed warmly. “He’s just happy." She looked at the coffee shop just ahead. It looked like a mom-and-pop place that had been in the neighborhood for years. "So, this is the place?”

“Yeah, this is it. It's been here forever, owned by the same family. I used to come here when Henry was just a baby. I couldn't afford much so I'd sit for hours with a cup of coffee. They never said a word. Instead, they gave me free refills and gave me stuff to try. They said I was doing them a favor, but I knew they were taking care of us. So we just kept coming back.”

"That's incredibly sweet of them. Now I understand the appeal."

"Yeah, they're like family."

Emma hesitated for a moment, thinking about the last few years with Henry, and the random people who had helped them out. Her thoughts then turned to this morning. Meeting Regina had been so odd and random. Emma wasn't one to believe in coincidences. Her life had never been easy, and she'd never gotten any breaks or handouts along the way. The best thing that ever happened to her was her son, but it had always been a struggle. And yet, maybe it didn't have to be? There was something about this woman - this utterly beautiful stranger who seemed so warm and kind to both of them - that had her believing maybe her life didn't have to be so hard. 

Without thinking, she reached for Regina's hand, and pulled her back. “Uh, for the record…”

Regina raised that very sexy eyebrow. “Yes, Emma?” Her voice purred.

Emma swallowed. _This woman is something else, and I need to not let her go. Ever._ “This may make me a terrible person, but about your break-up…I’m really not sorry.” She grinned sheepishly.

Regina considered Emma's confession. Even now, as the young woman looked at her expectantly, she was truly enchanting. She cleared her throat before responding. “I really didn’t think so, and if we’re being completely honest, Miss Swan, neither am I." 

She then stepped forward, closing the gap between them. She breathed in Emma’s scent - subtle and clean, and admired the long, blonde waves that framed her face and fell almost to her shoulders, the warm green of her eyes that she suspected would lighten or darken depending on her mood, and her pale skin that was getting rosier with her gaze. They had just met, but somehow, she was already smitten. “So, I guess that makes us both terrible?”

Emma beamed, turning her hand over and lacing their fingers together. “Yeah, downright awful.”

Regina looked down at their hands and smiled. It was an easy, carefree smile that brightened her face, reached her eyes and made them squint, and... _sparkle._ Emma sighed. _Damn, they really do sparkle._

Years later, even as a young man with a family of his own, Henry would always take credit for his mothers’ meeting in the elevator, which led to them moving in with Regina six months later (she kept the apartment - it was bigger), a beautiful, seaside wedding in Maine a year later, and the birth of his sister nine months after that. 

And whenever Henry bragged, Emma made sure to always pull her wife close and whisper, “Our son may have had the dream, but you, my Queen, made all of my dreams come true.”

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Swen – may all your dreams come true!


End file.
